Divided pianissimo device.



No. 847,534. PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

P. WUEST, JR.

DIVIDED PIANISSIMO DEVICE.

APPLICATION rump JUNE 6. 1904.

FIGJZ.

23 WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

v l /l/g/P WUfSTJ/Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP WUEST, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEAUTO-MANUAL PIANO ACTION COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DIVIDED PIANISSIIVIO DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed June 6, 1904. Serial No. 211,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP WUEST, Jr, of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDivided Pianissimo Devices, whereof the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

My improvements are particularly designed to be utilized in connectionwith automatic playing mechanism for pianos, although not necessarilylimited to such use. As such mechanism is usually constructed it doesnot comprise any means for differentiating the blows strucksimultaneously representing the elements of a chord, so that it isimpossible to produce a solo effect with the treble notes soundedsimultaneously with the bass notes.

An object of my invention is to provide a device arranged tomechanically vary the intensity of operation of different soundingdevices in accordance with its position and means to change the positionof said devices at the will of the operator.

As hereinafter described, my invention comprises a piano having means tovariably differentiate the effect of the hammer blows upon the stringsin different regions of the instrument, such means including a strip ofsuitable material, such as felt or soft leather, which when interposedbetween the hammers and the strings serves to deaden the blow of thehammers. As described, said strip may be capable of producing differenteffects by being made of different width or different thickness indifferent regions, adapted to be successively presented in effectiveposition, and said strip is carried by a frame, which may be raised andlowered, so as to remove said strip from or present it at thestrikingline of the hammers in the instrument. Said frame is arranged tobe raised and lowered b y connection with a pedal projecting from thefront of the piano or bya flexible connectorextending exterior to thepiano-casing in position to be readily grasped by the operator of anautomatic playing mechanism mounted in a separate case and isconveniently provided with an indicator arranged to manifest theparticular sounding device or group of them upon which the dampingdevice is effective, said indicator being movable in correspondence withthe movements of said de- V106.

My invention comprehends the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings, Figure I is a frontelevation of a piano-casingconveniently embodying my improvements, certain elements of the ordinarypiano mechanism being omitted for cle'arness of illustration. Fig. II isa front elevation of a modified form of dampingstrip. Fig. III is an endview of a damping strip which is of different thickness in differentregions.

In said figures the piano-casing 1 is provided with strings andhammer-action of any suitable construction and arrangement, controlled,as usual, by a series of digitals 2, pivotally supported upon thekey-frame 3, the details of such ordinary elements of the pianomechanism being omitted for clearness of illustration.

The dotted line 5 represents the striking line of the hammers, and thedamping-strip 6 is normally suspended above the same by the frame 7,which is conveniently supported upon the vertical rods 8 and 9, whichare mounted to reciprocate at the opposite ends of said casing 1. Thelower ends of said rods are respectively connected with the levers 11and 12, whose respective fulcrums 13 and 14 are supported by thepiano-casing 1. The inner ends of said levers 11 and Y12 are slotted toreceive the rear end 16 of the pedal-lever 17, which is also supportedfor oscillation in said casing 1. The lower edge of said damping-strip 6extends at different levels 18, 19, 20, and 21, and it is to beunderstood that when said pedal-lever 17 is depressed sufficiently topresent the edge 18 at the hammer striking-line 5 the strip 6 is thusinterposed between the series of hammers coextensive with said edge 18and the strings which they are arranged to operate, so that the blowsstruck on said strings are less effective than if said strip was notthus interposed. Similarly by the operation of said pedal 17 the dampingaction may be extended upon the entire series of hammers by successivelypresenting the edges 19, 20, and 21 at said striking-line 5.

Although I find it convenient to employ the horizontally-steppedconfiguration of the strip 6, (shown in Fig. I,) a differential effectupon different groups of the sounding devices may be attained by theemployment of the strip 23, (shown in Fig. II,) having the continuouslower edge 24- extending obliquely, so that as it is loweredsuccessively greater lengths of said strip are interposed between thehammers and strings and correspcmdingly greater numbers of them areail'ected.

Although the dillerential ell'ect oi the hammers may be secured withstrips 6 or 23 of uniform thickness throughout their eX tent, I find itconvenient to employ a strip which is of dill'erent thickness atdi'l'l'erent regions. For instance, as shown in Fig. 111, the strip 26is of greater thickness at its upper edge 27 than at its lower edge 28.The lastdescribed -form of strip may be made with its lower edge 28horizontal and be employed to simultaneously a'fi'ect the blows 01' allof the hammers in the piano-action, the damping el'l'ect being increasedor diminished in. accordance as a greater or less thickness 01' saidstrip 26 is interposed between the hammers and strings at thestriking-line 5.

Said frame 7 may also be shifted bymeans of the flexible connector 30,supported by any suitable means; such as the sheave 31, and providedwith an operating-handle 33, so located in relation to an index-scale 34to indicate the particular sounding device or group of them upon whichthe damping device is eil'ective. Although for convenience oiillustration 1 have shown said ind.i cater at the top of thepiano-easing 1, it is to be understood that it may be located in anyposition conveniently accessible to the operator.

I do not desire to limit mysell to the precise details oi constructionand arrangement above described, as it is obvious that variousmodifications may be made therein without departing "from the essentialfeatures of my invention.

I claim 1. The combination with a series of strings and playingmechanism comprising hammers for the same; of a device arranged. to varythe eileet of the playing mechanism on certain ol said stringsindependently of the others, comprising a damping-strip extendingbetween said strings and said hammers; means maintaining said strip ininvariable angular relation with the striking-line of the hammers;

and means arranged to shift said strip between the strmgs and hammersrelatively to said striking-line, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a series of strings and playing mechanismcomprising hammers for the same; of a device arranged to vary theefl'ect oi" the playing mechanism on some of said strings, independentlyof the others, oomprising'a damping-strip extending between said stringsand said hammers;

means maintaining said strip with dill'erent I regions of its edge atrelatively diil'erent distances from the striking-line of the hammers;

and, means arranged to shift said strip be- I tween the strings andhammers relatively to said striking-line, substantially as set forth.

3. A piano .having a damping-strip extending between the hammers and thestrings, said damping-strip having its edge shaped to vary the ell'ectoi" the dampers on certain of said strings independently ol the others;means For maii'itaining said strip with its edge in invariable angularrelation with the striking-line of the hammers; means for changing theposition. of said dampingstrip to vary the e'l'l'ect of the hammers uponthe strings; and an indicator provided with. an ind.e;\'scale toindicate the portion of the strings upon which said damping-strip iseflective, said indicator being mounted upon the piano-casing and infullview of the operator, whereby the latter may readily ascertain uponwhich portion. of the strings said strip is effective.

at. In a piano, the combination with a dan'iping-strip; of meanscontinuously maintaining said strip with its edge invariably inclinedwith respect to the striking-line of the hammers; and, means arranged toshil't said strip between the strings and hammers relatively to saidstriking-line, substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano, the combination with a damping-strip; of meansmaintaining said damping-strip with di'l'lerent regions of its edge atrelatively invariable diil'erent distances from the striking-line of thehammers; and, means arranged to shift said strip between the strings andhammers relatively to said strikingline, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a series of strings and playing mechanismcomprising hammers for the same; of a device arranged to vary the ellectof the playing mechanism on certain of said strings independently of theothers, including a damping-strip having an edge comprising regions atdii'l'erent distances from the striking-line of the hammers; meanssupporting said strip, invariably maintaining the relative position ofsaid regions of said strip with respect to said striking-line; and,means arranged to simultaneously shift to the same extent all of theregions of said strip, substantially as set forth.

7. In a piano, the combination with a d amping-Jrip, the lower edge ofwhich comprises regions at respectively different levels; of meanssupporting said strip, invariably maintaii'iing the relative position ofsaid dil lerent regions 01 its edge; and, means whereby said strip maybe raised. and lowered unilormly throughout its length, substantially asset forth.

8. In a piano, the combination with a damping-strip, the lower edge ofwhich cornprises regions at respectively di'llerent levels; of meanssupporting said strip, invariably maintaining the relative position ofsaid different regions of its edge, comprising the vertical rods 8 and9; and, means whereby said strip may be raised and lowered, comprisingthe levers 11 and 12, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination With a series of strings and playing mechanism,comprising ham-- others, including a damping-strip varying in thicknessfrom top to bottom and varying in Width from end to end; and, meansarranged to shift said strip between the strings and hammers, relativelyto the striking-line of the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, at Philadelphia, inthe State of Pennsylvania, this 3d day of June, 1904. 2

PHILIP WUEST, JR. Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. PAIGE, ANNA F. GETZFREAD.

